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The transcendental boatman

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By Kadamba Kanana Swami

The waves hitting the Jaladuta were overwhelmingly powerful, and as Prabhupada was rocked about on the Atlantic ocean by the intense waves and wind, he was becoming very ill. Prabhupada had a heart attack. Then he prayed to Krsna , and he saw Krsna. 

Krsna was rowing the boat and said, “Do not worry, everything will be fine.” 

Then the ocean became very calm, very peaceful. Later the captain said, “Swamiji, you must come with us again, because never before did we have su

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The Flag of Devotion

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By Keshava Murari das

Arjuna and Krishna preparing for battle “The emblem of Hanuman on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanuman cooperated with Lord Rama in the battle between Rama and Ravana, and Lord Rama emerged victorious. Now both Rama and Hanuman were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Krishna is Rama Himself, and wherever Lord Rama is, His eternal servitor Hanuman and His eternal consort Sita, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna ha

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God Answers "Knee Mail" Not Email

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By Achyut Gopal Das

I once heard a very interesting quote which said - "The distance between the problem and the solution is the distance between the knees and the ground." It means that - when we are hit by a problem that seems too overwhelming, we need to hit the ground and offer our earnest prayer to God. This is called "Knee mail" - it is more faster and efficiently than email.

You see, many problems can't be solved by us - they are too big for us but definitely not too big for God. When we

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From Back to Godhead

By Sureswara Dasa

Bir Krishna the calf loves coconut fudge, and Sita the teamstress knows it. Her pockets bulge with the sweet as she and Bir walk to the training ring. Today the calf will learn his first call: “Get up!”

The earth is soft from the recent rain. Sita carries a lash and leads Bir with a rope tied to a blue halter. The calf bounds through a cluster of gnats, then slows as they come to the ring. What’s this?

The gate opens, and Bir walks in to explore. He treads

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Events

By Madhava Smullen

Today there is a proliferation of different kirtan festivals all over the ISKCON world. But Germany’s Kirtan Simha is unique: a mystical experience centered around the Lord’s half-man, half-lion avatar Narasimhadeva.

Taking place in the Bavarian Black Forests of South Germany, at the Simhachalam farm community, this year’s five-day festival will run from May 15th to 19th. 

Around 600 devotees from all over Europe – Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Czech Repu

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The above phrase is something I expressed several times today, in a morning class, at an evening class—Tuesday sangha—and in the afternoon on a trail.
 
K refers to Krishna.  Dasin Sanskrit, means servant. Put it all together and you have words of truth.  "Krishna is boss and I am das."
 
Jay, Connor and I drove up to Tottenham to visit a family of farmers.  We drove north to offer some encouragement to Vishal and Yasomati who have started an agro/eco initiative involving gir and guernsey cows
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The Connected Feeling

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By Achyut Gopal Das
 
“We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but CONNECTED in the deep.” – William James

Today morning as I was walking and chanting, I saw an ant crushed under someone's feet, struggling to survive. I bent low to see the struggle of this ant, I could feel it's pain. It was the same kind of pain, I would go through. I felt CONNECTED. Somehow, the world is such that pain connects us to each other more than pleasure. 

And again, in the evening while traveling
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By Kelsey Watlington

On Saturday March 23, 2019, ISKCON of Richmond received an inspiring visit from National Convenor for National Ganga Mission, Dr. Snehal Donde, who gave a talk entitled “The Agony of Rivers”. Dr. Donde is the research officer at Bhaktivedanta Vidyapeeth Research Centre in Govardhan Eco Village in Mumbai. She works closely with His Holiness Radhanath Swami and His Grace Gauranga prabhu to advise in water conservation practices in the center. Dr. Donde has more than twenty-fo

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Tom, Billy, Connor and I took to the ravine. It did not come as a surprise to us, that we would be dealing with several-months-old snow that’s on its way out. I personally deliberated on the curious stages of snow, from the freshly fallen, to the layers that pack down, to periods of melting and then freezing.  Now in the final stages of a winter season's duration, it is soaking the trail, and some of it has merged into the creek, to be later precipitating,  and then falling as rain, hail or s
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This morning, I ventured along through the Yorkville district, and it was early—1:30 a.m.  Parties were just subsiding and the few stragglers, you might say, observed my monk apparel.  I mention this just as a comparison to the night before when I was in regular civies, civilian clothes.  There is a difference in people's response.  So for this morning, in posh Yorkville, I got this, “Are you with a party?” look.

For me, it's fun.   It makes walking that much more adventurous.
 
To Brampton I we
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The teachings of Srila Prabhupada, his books and his lectures, are like our anchor. We also get more information from the previous acaryas. In this way, we get a general idea of what to do in our lives. In the Eleventh Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said that one must apply knowledge with one’s own intelligence. 

Sometimes we judge circumstances, we have our own opinions and we have some doubts about that opinion. We may not immediately buy into some things so we put them on the shelf bec

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The Defective Pure Devotee

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By Achyut Gopal Das
 
Reading this topic, our mind naturally challenges - How can a pure devotee have defects? Shouldn't he, be free from defects? The 100% perfect person! The Mr. Perfect! 

The point is that a pure devotee can't be seen with material eyes and material logic. Just like Lord Krishna can't be seen with material eyes, so also His pure devotees. You need spiritual vision to appreciate God, His abode, His name and His devotees. Thus Bhakti Vinod Thakur, one of the greatest spiritua
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Arts

By Kaishori Dasi 

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust has just released a new Krsna book app with the full text in English, Russian, and German, with more languages being prepared.

The text is fully – and quickly! – searchable in each language. Easy-to-read with many customizable features, including the ability to bookmark, highlight, and make notes. Full Sanskrit diacritics on the text and a glossary, just as in the print edition.

Switch easily from one language to another – you can compare the Russ

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Stanford University

AnchorWe all know that Mahaprabhu was born on February 18, 1486. It is also a well-known fact that for twenty-four years Lord Caitanya lived in the gṛhastha-āśrama in Nabadwip (CC Ādi 13.10CC Madhya 1.15). Afterward, He accepted the renounced order of life, sannyāsa, and resided for twenty-four years more at Jagannātha Purī (CC Ādi 13.11CC Madhya 1.17). “Of these last twenty-four years, He spent the first six continually touring India, sometimes in South India, sometimes in B

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Which Brahma are you?

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The story of Lord Brahma going to visit Krishna at Dvarka is one of my favorite stories for reminding me of my insignificance. I think of this story when I am confused with other Karnamritas. I get email for Karnamrita dasi the singer, and I get asked if I wrote the biography of Gaura-kishora das Babhaji, or other books. I am reminded of my dear friend Dr. Garuda who has to distinguish himself from another Garuda who is active on-line.

By Karnamrita dasa

So which Karnamrita am I? That is a grea

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is - 16.19

TEXT 19
tan aham dvisatah kruran
samsaresu naradhaman
ksipamy ajasram asubhan
asurisv eva yonisu
SYNONYMS
tan—those; aham—I; dvisatah—envious; kruran—mischievous; samsaresu—into the ocean of material existence; naradhaman—the lowest of mankind; ksipami—put; ajasram—innumerable; asubhan—inauspicious; asurisu—demoniac; eva—certainly; yonisu—in the wombs.
TRANSLATION
Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoni
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The Bhisma Way or The Jataya Way

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By Achyut Gopal Das
 
Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts." - Edward R. Murrow
 
No two people react to the same situation in a similar way. Here are examples of two great personalities who were faced with a very similar situation, but their responses were completely different.
 
This is a comparitive study between Bhisma and Jatayu. Both, of them were faced with seeing exploitation of women. One chose to try to protect the victim and the other chose to be a mute spectator of the cr
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The Bhakti Center in Manahattan has launched a Kirtan School, offering comprehensive step-by-step training in the devotional art.

The Center has always offered sporadic kirtan programs. But recently two things happened that set the course for a more “proactive, intentional and strategic approach,” according to Kirtan School director Doyal Gauranga Das.

First, devotees taught a three-hour “kirtan camp” in November 2017, which sold out immediately, revealing a strong public desire to learn kir

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Back In Regulated Fashion

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By Bhaktimarga Swami

Bloor Street, west of University Avenue, is what it always has been for decades, and coming back, after a month's stay in India, let's me see that it has persisted.  For all but the iconic Honest Ed's economy market - which has been razed and will be replaced by a towering condo unit—the coffee shops, book stores, exotic artifact joints and Korean town and their two or three story buildings will be here to stay. I hope.
 
It's a charmer of a street to walk at any time of th
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